Harare - A South African woman appeared in the Harare Magistrate's Court on charges relating to cocaine possession worth over $430 000 (about R5 268 820).
Thandeka Jack, 34, from Springs, in Johannesburg, appeared in court on Tuesday before Magistrate Rumbidzai Mugwagwa facing a charge of possession of dangerous drugs.
She was denied bail and remanded to February 6 for trial.
The prosecution, led by Sebastian Mutizirwa, told the court that at around 3pm on December 31, an Angolan flight landed and during the clearing of passengers, Jack’s red suitcase passed through a scan and was tagged for physical examination.
The court heard that detectives from the Drugs and Narcotics section stationed at Robert Mugabe International Airport were on duty together with Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) and other State security agents.
Mutizirwa alleged that Jack proceeded to the green route as though she had nothing to declare, but was stopped by Zimra officials, who alerted the police and demanded to search her bags.
Mugwagwa heard Jack was discomposed, which aroused suspicion in the authorities.
They then searched her suitcase, where they found 125 black bobbins of white sewing thread with the cocaine stashed inside holes.
The prosecution said tests were conducted in Jack’s presence and results came out positive that it was cocaine.
The consignment weighed 5.38kg and has a street value of $430,560, the court heard.